DSF6969:Something I just don't understand about subways in the states. Keep in mind that I live a town without subways. The trains stop at the station in pre-arranged, consistent positions. This is why they have the tape laid out that shows where the doors will be. So why the fark don't they have railings along the damn edges!??!

They dont stop at pre-arranged positions. Depends on the conductor, weather,etc

Where i get on my train, i know that if its a rainy day, i have to shift down a few feet more to align with the door that day. You could also have a conductor who is light/heavy no the brakes. There is no automation. its all manually controlled.

Finally, some lines have multiple car types on a single line, and they have slightly different door layouts.

rolladuck:Isildur: Oh, FFS. One would have to be either an idiot or a sympathizing member of the profession to believe that anyone's first impulse would be to "signal" to the conductor with a camera flash. What, exactly, could that be expected to communicate? Is removal of a lens cap also an internationally recognized distress gesture?

My sister used to photograph weddings and other special events with a couple other people. They used a couple of the flash settings to get each other's attention across large loud halls, open patios, etc. It was pretty effective, even outdoors in decent sunlight, quicker than texting and less invasive than shouting, waving etc. I can see where someone who is trained to think "flash = signaling device", which a photographer would be, would try to use a flash as a signaling device.

Have you never improvised a tool from its normal use, in a non-intuitive way, to attempt to achieve an effect it wasn't designed for, in a moment of crisis? You should watch MacGyver, I think it's still on Netflix instant play.

Difference: That's a communication medium they established amongst themselves, and not one that they would in a million years rely on an outsider to register and comprehend within the space of a few seconds. In fact, the entire point of that scheme is to be unobtrusive to the people not clued in. Whereas waving and pointing down at the tracks requires no explanation in this context. I've used many things for purposes for which they were not intended, but generally not when a quicker, better alternative already exists.

I think that would do the trick, with the one additional button of "PERSON ON TRACKS" that could immediately alert the train operator, control center, etc., and possibly initiate emergency braking in the event the train is too close for the human operator to reliably do it manually. Naturally, you'd want to make sure that kids don't start playing a game where they try to time hitting the button when it will cause mayhem on the train, but making an example of a couple of miscreants would solve that problem.

An automated sensor system would, of course, be preferred if it could be made reliable enough.

That's exactly why it links you upstairs, rather than stops the train automatically - basically, you smack the button, say "person on tracks" or "one under" and they'll initiate an emergency stop. They know which button has been hit, on which platform, which end of the platform at which station.

Of course, on the Victoria line you've got about a minute between trains, so...you're screwed up the whole network. Which is why there's a pit - you fall, you get into the pit, lay down and start shouting. Odds are that the cameras picked you up and the control room already knows, though - it's a good argument for cameras out the arse.

But yeah, I'm surprised that those buttons aren't a standard feature of all stations now. It takes a bit of retrofitting but it's easier, cheaper and quicker than the platform doors. Bonus, if somebody is just lost, hurt or needs help getting out of the station, well, blue button.

On the Paris Métro, there's an alarm post on each platform that has a call button to connect you with the control room and a pull-toggle that will (if the labels are to be believed) cut power to that particular section of track, though I don't know how far down the tunnel it goes. They also have track-side doors on some of the busier lines (1, 13, and 14 for the moment) to keep people from jumping on the tracks:

Though to be fair, you still have an accident grave de voyageur every week or two, and probably will until all eleventy-billion stations in the system have the doors. And then the suicidal people will jump in front of buses.

Robo Beat:On the Paris Métro, there's an alarm post on each platform that has a call button to connect you with the control room and a pull-toggle that will (if the labels are to be believed) cut power to that particular section of track, though I don't know how far down the tunnel it goes.

That's a bloody good idea, though I doubt the Underground could support it without major refitting.

By an alarm post, do you mean a literal post, or a setup like the image I posted earlier?

Humorous-Name:Robo Beat: On the Paris Métro, there's an alarm post on each platform that has a call button to connect you with the control room and a pull-toggle that will (if the labels are to be believed) cut power to that particular section of track, though I don't know how far down the tunnel it goes.

That's a bloody good idea, though I doubt the Underground could support it without major refitting.

By an alarm post, do you mean a literal post, or a setup like the image I posted earlier?

Robo Beat:Humorous-Name: Robo Beat: On the Paris Métro, there's an alarm post on each platform that has a call button to connect you with the control room and a pull-toggle that will (if the labels are to be believed) cut power to that particular section of track, though I don't know how far down the tunnel it goes.

That's a bloody good idea, though I doubt the Underground could support it without major refitting.

By an alarm post, do you mean a literal post, or a setup like the image I posted earlier?

Sometimes the former, sometimes the latter. Depends on the station.

Ah, fair enough. How clear are they? The UK ones might not always be apparent in purpose for a visitor, how has Paris mitigated that?

As an aside, I think that going one under is possibly the most selfish way to kill yourself. Sure, you're not likely to take anybody with you, but you're going to ruin a lot of peoples days, starting with the train driver.

Humorous-Name:Robo Beat: Humorous-Name: Robo Beat: On the Paris Métro, there's an alarm post on each platform that has a call button to connect you with the control room and a pull-toggle that will (if the labels are to be believed) cut power to that particular section of track, though I don't know how far down the tunnel it goes.

That's a bloody good idea, though I doubt the Underground could support it without major refitting.

By an alarm post, do you mean a literal post, or a setup like the image I posted earlier?

Sometimes the former, sometimes the latter. Depends on the station.

Ah, fair enough. How clear are they? The UK ones might not always be apparent in purpose for a visitor, how has Paris mitigated that?

As an aside, I think that going one under is possibly the most selfish way to kill yourself. Sure, you're not likely to take anybody with you, but you're going to ruin a lot of peoples days, starting with the train driver.

Three one unders = retired train driver.

It's the yellow-white-red thing:

The cut-off switch is in the white part behind a polycarbonate door that has a line drawing of a man falling onto the tracks stencilled onto it, so there's that. You could make the thing more visible, but there's only so much space on the platform.

And yeah, sometimes I do think the jumpers choose their times to inconvenience people. There's a few lines in the system that run trains through the stations once every 60-90 seconds during the morning rush, and that's always when you have the jumpers. Kind of a last-ditch effort to get somebody to notice you. I understand that one of the first things they teach you in the Métro's motorman training is that it's not a matter of if you'll squash someone, but when. But still probably no preparation for that.

Robo Beat:Humorous-Name: Robo Beat: Humorous-Name: Robo Beat: On the Paris Métro, there's an alarm post on each platform that has a call button to connect you with the control room and a pull-toggle that will (if the labels are to be believed) cut power to that particular section of track, though I don't know how far down the tunnel it goes.

That's a bloody good idea, though I doubt the Underground could support it without major refitting.

By an alarm post, do you mean a literal post, or a setup like the image I posted earlier?

Sometimes the former, sometimes the latter. Depends on the station.

Ah, fair enough. How clear are they? The UK ones might not always be apparent in purpose for a visitor, how has Paris mitigated that?

As an aside, I think that going one under is possibly the most selfish way to kill yourself. Sure, you're not likely to take anybody with you, but you're going to ruin a lot of peoples days, starting with the train driver.

Three one unders = retired train driver.

It's the yellow-white-red thing:[www.visoterra.com image 850x637]

The cut-off switch is in the white part behind a polycarbonate door that has a line drawing of a man falling onto the tracks stencilled onto it, so there's that. You could make the thing more visible, but there's only so much space on the platform.

And yeah, sometimes I do think the jumpers choose their times to inconvenience people. There's a few lines in the system that run trains through the stations once every 60-90 seconds during the morning rush, and that's always when you have the jumpers. Kind of a last-ditch effort to get somebody to notice you. I understand that one of the first things they teach you in the Métro's motorman training is that it's not a matter of if you'll squash someone, but when. But still probably no preparation for that.

That looks pretty damn clear to me. The raised sign is a nice touch, though I don't know how deep or hot the Métro is, so I can't comment on if that's an idea LU can consider pinching.

They must do - I've only twice been direct affected by a one-under, and both times were rush hour. The interval on some of the lines is so short that, well, even if you fall accidentally, if you don't get into the pit, you don't have much of a chance at all.They might teach you it, but it's one thing knowing it intellectually, quite another to suddenly have somebody out in front of you in mid-air before catching several tonnes of train with their teeth.

JackieRabbit:DSF6969: Something I just don't understand about subways in the states. Keep in mind that I live a town without subways. The trains stop at the station in pre-arranged, consistent positions. This is why they have the tape laid out that shows where the doors will be. So why the fark don't they have railings along the damn edges!??!

They could do that but it would be very dangerous. The well for the train is just big enough for the train to fit with only a couple of inches of clearance. Those trains enter the stations pretty darned fast. What if, when doing so, someone had bent one of the railing inward? (some rough-housing boys would surely do so) The train would hit it and the driver or a passenger on the platform would probably be killed. At the very least, the train would derail.